48 Hours

48 Hours

48 Hours

"48 Hours" Podcasts: The Spymasters

What does it take to be a master spy?

2016May 18

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What are the rules for America's spymasters in their race to prevent the next terrorist attack? What should the agency's mission be in the future? "48 Hours" Presents The Spymasters - CIA in the Crosshairs" shows the CIA as it's never been seen before - through the eyes of all 12 living directors of the agency.

Narrated by "Homeland's" Mandy Patinkin, "The Spymasters" focuses on the CIA during one of the most controversial periods of its history -- marked by unheeded warnings before the 9/11 attacks, the use of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques, secret prisons, and drone warfare. Has the agency become a covert killing machine -- at the expense of gathering intelligence?

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What surprised the producers was how stunningly candid the directors were about some of their most closely held secrets. Former Director Leon Panetta describes the day a top terrorist was spotted in Pakistan by a lethal CIA drone.

Inside the CIA, Director John Brennan carries the burden of command. In a conflict against a ruthless enemy, what are the rules for America's spymasters? Does the agency go too far -- or not far enough?

Osama bin Laden was determined to strike the U.S. and the CIA says it told President George W. Bush's National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice as early as the spring of 2001 that the threat was imminent. "The Spymasters" co-executive producer and writer Chris Whipple discusses his insights after interviewing all 12 living directors of the CIA and operatives for the documentary.